Alistair Darling: Ports in the United Kingdom play a vital role in supporting the national economy and contributing to sustainable development. The Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing that role through our broad approach to ports policy and through the decisions we take on individual ports applications. We aim to exercise our responsibility in respect of applications as promptly as possible, consistent with the need to consider all relevant factors and allow all interested parties sufficient opportunity to comment.
	I can now report to the House that, as part of that process, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Derek Twigg) announced on 21 December that he was minded to approve the proposal from Hutchison Ports UK for a container port at Bathside Bay at Harwich, Essex. He noted, however, that there are some matters which require further clarification, including making sure that the right conditions are imposed on the development to secure the necessary highways improvements in good time to provide congestion relief. A similar letter, covering planning and listed building appeals related to the development, was issued by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister. The Government believe this expansion in deep-sea container port capacity is justified by the economic benefits it will bring regionally and nationally. But we understand that there should be controls imposed on the development, to provide new road and rail infrastructure so that congestion does not increase, to provide compensatory habitats for wildlife displaced by the scheme, and to reduce other environmental impacts such as noise, pollution and the visual impact.
	My hon. Friend had already announced in July last year that he was minded to approve the proposal from P&O Ports for a new container port at London Gateway, near Thurrock in Essex. Working in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, who had announced in parallel that he was minded to approve the proposed adjoining logistics centre at London Gateway, we have invited representations regarding road access and other matters both on that proposal and now on Bathside Bay. We will consider any representations carefully before moving to final decisions.
	My hon. Friend is also considering a separate proposal from Hutchison for providing further deep-sea container port capacity through the reconfiguration of the Felixstowe South site in Suffolk. He, together with my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, expects to make announcements on that shortly.
	The ports industry is responding to demand for capacity in other traffic sectors as well. On 21 December my hon. Friend also made a final decision approving the application from Associated British Ports plc to construct a short-sea container terminal at Quay 2005 in Hull. After carefully considering the likely impacts on local residents, and balancing them against the wider economic benefits, the Government are satisfied that this project will overall bring significant benefits to the city of Hull and the region as a whole. The Government are also satisfied that the project's likely impacts on nature conservation sites will be adequately compensated for by the creation of replacement habitat in the Humber estuary.

Alistair Darling: Following my statement of 21 November in which I announced that the Government had decided to commission an independent, wide-ranging review of policing at airports, I am pleased to announce today, that I have appointed Stephen Boys Smith, a retired Home Office Director-General, to lead the review. I expect the review to be completed by late spring.
	The review will aim to identify a sustainable approach to the policing of airports that takes account of the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in protecting an airport and in particular addresses the need for funding arrangements that are objective and transparent. The review will compare the present method of policing airports with that of other modes of transport and will consider whether the principle of designation can be made to work. If it cannot, the review is asked to propose alternative options. The full terms of reference are:
	To review the role of the police service at airports, using as a base-line the recommendations of Sir John Wheeler's 2002 review of airport security. The Review will take account of any other relevant reports and will consider how the airport manager, the police and other stakeholders at the airport can best work together, given their respective roles and responsibilities, including under the National Aviation Security Programme. Account will also be taken of the extent of any overlap in security activities at airports and the scope for efficiencies;
	To compare the present approach to the policing of airports with that applied to other modes of transport to establish any differences or similarities in policing approaches, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities that may apply. This will include the current review into the BTP;
	To develop a model—with options recognising that different airports may require different approaches—for the policing of airports;
	To develop criteria upon which an objective assessment can be made as to whether an airport should be designated for policing purposes. Then to consider whether, on the basis of these criteria and taking account of voluntary multi-agency risk assessments (MATRA), the principle of the existing designation process can be made to work; and if not, to propose alternative options;
	To consider options and mechanisms for funding policing at airports in the light of any findings or recommendations that emerge from the review, taking account of the resources committed separately to security by airport operators and others. The Review will take into account the economic impact of any recommendations that it makes;
	To consider any requirement for changes in legislation.